Aspects of the invention relate to a chatbot system. In particular they relate to a chatbot system comprising a parent chatbot and a plurality of sub-chatbots, each sub-chatbot being associated with a domain. Further aspects of the invention relate to a method of operating a chatbot system; sub-chatbot suitable for use in a chatbot system; an access function for use in a sub-chatbot; a software service system; computer software and a computer readable medium.
Chatbots are becoming an increasingly popular online method for product and service providers to interact with their customers and users. Chatbots are a form of software agent and may be referred to as chatterbots, Artificial Conversational Entities, conversational agents, smart assistants or other such terms. A chatbot is a system that mimics conversation, either by voice or text, with a user so as to provide them with information and services and also receive information from the user. The aim is for a chatbot to accurately understand a user query and to respond accordingly, for example, by returning a relevant response, or completing a task or action. Previously, the user may have carried out this interaction via an app, for example on a mobile device, or a website.
A chatbot is typically designed for a limited number of use cases, in many cases a single use case. For example, users may ask a weather chatbot for a weather forecast, book tickets for travel or entertainment by accessing the chatbot for the relevant supplier, purchase products from retailers, and record information such as receipts with an accounting system chatbot. Chatbots allow users to interact with product and service providers in a simple and intuitive manner.
Chatbots may be implemented using a combination of one or more of rules, keywords analysis, and artificial intelligence.
Users typically access chatbots through a messaging service or chat service, for example, Slack®, Facebook® Messenger®, or Skype®. This can be convenient for a user as it allows them to access a wide array of information and services without leaving their messaging app. Further, they do not need a specific app for each service they wish to use. Additionally, it is useful to a product or service supplier to provide their users with a more intuitive method of interacting with them.
Organisations may wish to provide their users with a chatbot that allows user access to a wide array of online functionality, that is, they may wish their chatbot to handle a large number of use cases. However, this can be a difficult task, particularly for large organisations and/or those with many product and service offerings. Developing a chatbot to cover such a large area would be a complicated and time-consuming task. Conventional chatbots are limited in the use cases they can handle, as there are limitations to the breadth of domain knowledge a single chatbot can have, whilst retaining the level of functionality users demand. A single chatbot required to handle too many use cases will operate unreliably and will be prone to errors, as the situation becomes too complex for the chatbot to identify and return the correct answer. Building a single chatbot within a large organisation also presents challenges. Multiple teams working on a single experience can cause bottlenecks, reduced velocity and instability.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present invention. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.